UPDATE of the Past News 20th November 1858

Catch up on the full story of last weeks NEWS...........

*Amelia Hinks –

Amelia’s amazing recovery left her rather disturbed.  At first she refused all food and drink and became “frightfully excited” requiring great force to hold her.  Her conduct was described as “very strange”.  Rather worryingly she had a wish to “destroy her father and mother”.  The newspapers described one such incident when the family were asleep Amelia went downstairs and set a light several items including some needle work (which her mother “set great store upon”) and the curtains.  She then returned to bed.  The cause of the fire was unknown to the parents as they thought that Amelia had remained in her bed all night.  Amelia did however confess to the fire.  Sadly for the poor young girl, she was described as living “neither alive nor dead”.

Amelia’s story was reported all over the United Kingdom, including an article in the Falkirk Herald, 30^th December 1858, by Mr Nelson, surgeon who visited her August 1858.  He gave the following details of the incident –

Amelia was the living at Bridge Street, Nuneaton with her parents, her father was a harness maker.  She was aged 12 years and 9 months and was supposed to be suffering from pulmonary consumption.  Her symptoms were headache, cough, loss of appetite and she was emaciated.  On examination the doctor could not find any chest infection. 

Amelia was sent to Leamington for a change and to visit friends, but after a short time she became much worse and her parents fetched her home.  Again Dr Nelson was called upon to examine Amelia.  It was from this time that she began to refuse food or medicine.  On 18^th October around 03.30am she apparently died.  She was described as  having “groaned heavily, waved her hand, turned her head to the light, dropped her jaw and died”. 

The laying out then began, she was washed, wrapped in clean linen, her jaw was tied, penny pieces were placed on the eyes, her hands were placed by her sides and her feet were tied together.  She was then moved into another room, laid on a sofa and two books were placed on her feet.

The grandfather had visited  at 9am and the scene became one of confusion as he was adamant that he had seen movement.  The Doctor was again called and found Amelia to be breathing, with a "feeble" pulse of around 75 beats a minute.  The doctor ordered movement of the limbs and a warm flannel was applied and after about 2 hours she eventually gained consciousness and spoke. 

The next day at 4pm she again groaned heavily, and relapsed into the same state as she had previously.  This lasted for 6 hours and 14 minutes.  She had refused food whilst conscious only taking water applied to the lips.  She stated that she did not want to eat or drink again until “she did so in heaven”.  For the next week she refused food and drink despite the desperate requests from her parents. Eventually the doctor forcibly gaged her and with an elastic tube fed her beef tea and arrowroot.  This must have caused Amelia great distress and she began 10 days of moaning, night and day.

A two am one morning as we already heard, she set fire to the items and then she ran into the street in her night dress shouting “murder”.  Amelia’s father put the fire out and his hands were badly burned.  After this outburst she then began swearing and blaspheming for the next 60 hours and then after sheer exhaustion she relapsed into a state similar to earlier, her eyelids closed, teeth clenched and muscles rigid.

This situation was causing great anxiety to her family and friends and a plan was hatched to “trick” Amelia into submission.  The doctor told her parents to sleep in another room and to lock Amelia in her room alone – this was done so that Amelia could hear to conversation.  The father was then placed in a closet within the room, so that he could observe Amelia’s actions.  True to their expectations at around 1am Amelia opened her eyes, removed the bed clothes and sat upright.  She then got out of bed “as nimbly as ever” and went towards the food which had been left out for her.  She tasted the food then retired to her bed with a quantity, pulling the bed clothes back over her.

Doctor Nelson gave the following opinion of the case  –

“Considering that her mother has at times been hysterical, I am inclined to consider it one of hysteria of an aggravated character, complicated probably with a morbid condition of the brain”

Amelia was born in 1846, the daughter of Henry and Sarah Hinks.  The family was large, in the 1861 census just three years after the onset of Amelia’s condition she is living with her parents, one older sister, 2 younger sisters, 3 younger brothers, a servant and an apprentice saddler.  They still lived at Bridge Street, Nuneaton.  By 1871 the family have moved to a new area, they are now living at Park Street, Walsall.

What became of Amelia after that is unknown.  If anyone can add to this story please let me know.

Echoes of our past News...... 20th November 1858

Read all about it……. Echoes of our past NEWS

What was news in the local news this weekend in 1858?

MAIN NEWS –

*The dead alive –

Not a Chesterfield family, but worthy of news in the Chesterfield papers, this story would have been a topic of conversation –

A young girl of about 12 or 13 years old named Amelia Hinks had unknowingly caused quite a stir after suffering an illness, “dwindling away under some unaccountable complaint”. About three weeks ago, she – or as her family thought – passed away.  Her corpse was said to have been removed to another room “rigid and icy cold”, washed and laid out, following the usual burial practices of the times.  This included placing penny pieces on the eyes.  For the next 48 hours poor Amelia remained laid out under the sheets and the coffin was ordered.  The family lived in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

That was until the most amazing and startling incident occurred…..

The grandfather of Amelia came from Leamington to pay his last respects.  Along with another female relation he removed one of the penny pieces from Amelia’s eyes.  Although Amelia did not stir he was adamant that he had seen movement under the eye lid.  At first the other woman did not agree, but then the pair, after studying Amelia closely observed another movement.

The Doctor was called, who at first also doubted the sightings of the old man and the woman.  But on checking her heart, it was found that Amelia was still alive.  She was removed into a warmer room and after a while she let out a sneeze.  When she came around further and was able to talk she described all the events that had occurred; who had closed her eyes, who had placed the pennies onto them, she even heard her coffin be ordered and all the remarks made over her.

OTHER ITEMS –

 

*Omnibus accident –

All members of the public who were traveling on the omnibus from Chatsworth to Chesterfield had a lucky escape when the bus was hauled to one side after spokes on one of the wheels broke.  The incident occurred near to the Pheasant Inn at Brampton.  The persons on the top of the omnibus were thrown with great violence to the ground.  As the sides of the omnibus were glass, the persons seated inside also received cut's and glass embedded in their hands and faces.  Thankfully the injuries were all minor and no one was seriously hurt.  The omnibus was owned by Mr Rice of Spencer Street and had been taking a party of fishermen to a coursing meeting at Chatsworth.

*Bastardy case –

John Marsh a 17 year old from Brimington was found to be the father of the illegitimate child of Anne Orwin also of Brimington.  Ann was around 16 years of age.  John also went by the name of Kemp.  He was ordered to pay 2s a week plus any necessary expenses.

*Unsupervised horse and cart –

George Hopkinson was found guilty and fined 2s 6d and 10s 6d expenses after leaving his horse and cart on the high road at Brimington unattended.  He was said to have been in a public house drinking for around an hour.

*Weather –

The weather had been unusually mild this November 1858, until the last few days.  So mild in fact that Mr George Parker of Loundsley Green was the proud owner of a garden which still housed an apple tree in full bloom.

MARRIAGES –

*Joseph Parkes a farmer from Wirksworth to Mrs Hannah Holmes of Chesterfield on 1^st November at the Roman Catholic Chapel in Chesterfield.

*William Wilbraham to Margaret Ann Lavender of Clay Cross on 10^th November at Roman Catholic Chapel, Chesterfield.

*William Edwards to Mary Cook on 7^th November at Brimington Parish Church.

*Mr G Bradshaw of Fanshaw-gate, Holmesfield a farmer and youngest son to the late Mr Bradshaw of Frith Hall, Brampton to Mary Crookes second daughter to Mr W Crookes farmer of Cutthorpe, at Brampton Parish Church on 9^th November.

 

*Enoch Taylor to Sarah Storer of Lea at Ashover.

 

DEATHS –

*Hannah Marriott aged 15 years at Chesterfield

*Mrs Sarah Snow aged 85 years at Chesterfield

*Mr Joseph Cowley, pipe manufacturer aged 52 years after a long illness

*Mr William Froggatt at Robin Hood, near Baslow aged 29 years, left a widow and large family

*Master Arthur Augustus Edge aged 1 year 4 months, son of Mr G Edge of Birdholme

AND FINALLY…

 

Death of Centenarian –

Mrs Elizabeth Mills of Leek Frith, near Swithamley died on 25^th October aged 102 years old.  Elizabeth was a mother of 11 children, grandmother to 44 and great grandmother to 107 children.  She was said to have been very fit and able, only last harvest she assisted her son “a stout lad about 80” in haymaking.  Elizabeth spent her spare time visiting neighbours and attending to domestic chores.